


Panic

by Oriberry



Category: Stargate Universe
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-15
Updated: 2016-08-15
Packaged: 2018-08-08 23:18:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7777555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oriberry/pseuds/Oriberry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If there's one man able to rattle Young's nerves, it's Dr Rush.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Panic

Rush’s eyes won’t open, no matter how hard he tries. But there’s nothing wrong with his hearing.

“Christ, TJ, can’t you get him to come round?”

“Sir, I know you’re worried but panicking is not helping anyone here, especially Rush.”

“Rush, Rush.” And then, “Dammit, TJ, what’s wrong with him?”

The Colonel sounds frantic and Rush wonders hazily what’s worrying him. He’d try speaking but he’s feeling too fuzzy-brained to be able to solve this particular puzzle. Let someone else do some work for a change.

He would like to be able to look around him but after a half-hearted attempt at raising his hand to his face to rub his eyes, he lets his arm flop back down to the ground and allows his mind to drift away. The sensation is almost pleasant.

And then, irritatingly, he feels someone hold his face and move his head from side to side. He wants to admonish them for being so rough but the words are eluding him.

“The wound doesn’t look too deep, Sir, it’s probably worse than it looks. It’s this humidity I think, that’s making it bleed so much, and the blood’s gumming up his eyes.”

Rush senses someone drop to the ground and then he hears Young whisper in his ear. “Come on Rush, I know you can hear me. Give me some sort of sign here, please.”

Rush hums to himself. Young’s voice is rough and he sounds out of breath, as if he’s fighting to get his emotions under control. He’s not sure what’s got the Colonel into such a state, he’s usually far more cool and collected than this. Indeed, it is - Rush would concede grudgingly, if circumstances were different - one of Young’s best strengths, his ability to stay calm under duress. 

He feels a hand gripping his arm tightly and then a wet cloth is on his face, wiping his eyes free of gunge. He tries opening them and winces against the bright sunlight.

“Slowly, Dr Rush, just try and open your eyes for a few seconds at a time to give yourself time to adjust.” TJ, cool and collected as usual. He does as she advises and after several attempts, he manages to keep his eyes open and then he focuses on the man in front of him. 

The Colonel’s face is tight with tension and Rush wonders how on earth a man is his position can be so bad at keeping his emotions under wrap. At the moment the tension Young is feeling is writ large on his face and sighs with relief when Rush struggles to get himself into a seated position. 

“Easy, Rush, take it easy. You’ve been out cold for about ten minutes” and Rush, feeling more shaky than he’d like to admit, is grateful for Young’s hand supporting the small of his back. 

“What happened”? Young has squatted down on his heels and is peering closely into Rush’s eyes. 

Rush isn’t entirely sure. They’re in thick jungle and the ground is wet and slippery, with stones and boulders strewn around. He must have lost his footing and knocked himself out. He shrugs, feeling slightly foolish for making a school boy error like that. “One minute I was upright, the next…”

Greer and Scott have now turned up and Rush thinks to himself that it’s turning into quite the party. There’s a conversation going on that quickly turns quite heated. The Colonel is trying to keep his temper under control but Rush knows it won’t take much for it to erupt. 

“We need to get him back to Destiny, TJ, it’s not safe to stay out here. It’ll be dark soon, we have no idea what company we might be keeping and we’re low on ammunition.”

“Colonel. I know you’re worried about him but we don’t know how bad the head injury is - he might have serious concussion.”

But Greer is backing Young up. “The Colonel’s right. The longer we stay out here, the more at risk we are. He’s still bleeding and any predators out there are going to picking up the scent.”

Rush doesn’t fancy becoming a snack for a marauding animal so he tries to get to his feet, keen to start back to Destiny but he moves too quickly and the world is very quickly going black before he feels a strong pair of arms supporting him and he leans into Young, grateful for the catch.

Young whispers hotly in Rush’s ear, “You’ve already given me the fright of my life once today so stop with the heroics and trust us to get you back” before turning back to TJ. “We are moving him, TJ. And that’s an order.” 

There’s some scuffling and then before Rush knows it he has one arm draped around Young and he is being dragged unceremoniously through the undergrowth. Every bit of him is hurting like hell and he has to bite his tongue to stop himself from crying out. Under his breath he can hear Young talking - he’s not sure if it’s to himself or if it’s for Rush’s benefit - but shock is clearly making way for anger and he doesn’t know who it’s being directed at.

“Stupid ass.” And then, “I swear to God, if anything happens to you, I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

Rush feels a surge of warmth and wants desperately to reassure the man currently lugging him through dense jungle. Apart from his own breath and Young’s mutterings, the only sound is the shrill call of the cicadas. “‘m alright, don’t worry about me.” 

There’s no response apart from an irritated huff before Young answers, so softly that Rush thinks perhaps he isn’t meant to hear “You have no idea how much you mean to me” and something burns white hot in Rush’s stomach.

After what feels like a life time, they reach the Gate and then they’re through, Young gasping and trying to get his breathing under control. Sweat is trickling down Rush’s forehead, stinging his eyes and running over his lips. Licking them, Rush can taste salt and blood. Black spots are dancing in front of his eyes and then - nothing.

\------

“Seriously guys, I have never seen the Colonel behave like that before. He was all over Rush like a rash.”

“Well, it did look pretty gory, the way he was covered in blood.” That sounds like Greer, the voice of reason.

“I am telling you, there is something going on between those two. There’s no other reason why he’d lose the plot they way he did. Have you ever seen him so panicky before?” 

“Eli, if you can’t keep it down I’m gonna have to ask you to leave.” 

“And then when they got back here and Rush blacked out, I could hear Young pleading with him to be alright.”

“Eli,” TJ warns him, and this time he backs down, be it reluctantly.

“Fine. But you’ll see I’m right. They’re hiding something. ”The voices fade away as TJ ushers them out of the infirmary. 

On her return she stands over Rush and says “It’s OK, Rush, they’ve gone. You can open your eyes now.”

Rush blinks up at her. She’s watching him closely and then leans forward to say, “the Colonel’s keen to see you if you’re feeling up to it?”

He nods. His heart is racing and he’s not sure if he’s dreading or looking forward to what happens next.  
\-----

“You’re an idiot, Rush. What were you thinking going off like that? I told you to stay with Scott, not to do your best Dr Livingstone impression.”

Young has clearly not calmed down any since their return to Destiny. Instead it seems he’s had too much time to think and he’s built up a good head of steam with no outlet for it.

“I can’t trust you to do anything I tell you can I? You always know best, dammit.”

In different circumstances there would be no way that Rush would let Young get away with this verbal lashing but the Colonel is panting now, his cheeks flushed, his eyes dark and he thinks perhaps it’s better to let Young vent. 

Young leans over Rush, who resists creating some much needed space between them.

“You’re a lot of work, you know that Rush?”

And then, Young is bearing down on Rush and he’s being very thoroughly kissed. Rush is caught off guard for a moment but then decides there’s no point in fighting it. He can rationalise Young’s behaviour, after all It’s just the heat of the moment and quite frankly, better this than being half beaten to death. 

Rush decides to go with the flow (to be honest he’s not sure he has the resolve to resist the temptation of seeing what’s going to happen next) and tries out an experimental nip of Young’s lower lip. Judging by the low moan this elicits, it seems to be working and Rush is just about to open his mouth to Young’s when he feels himself being pulled in tight to Young’s chest before very strong arms are being wrapped around him. 

Shaking off a lust-induced haze, Rush realises that someone is speaking and the sound of - was that a high five? Ah yes, the dulcet tones of Mr Wallace if he’s not mistaken. He leans back and briefly catches Young’s eye. They are never going to hear the end of this but Rush can’t help thinking it’s not too high a price to pay, all things considered.


End file.
